What You Are To Me
by Broken Jar Of Hearts
Summary: How Neji sees Tenten in relation to the scenes of them that were shown and to the relationship that they have with each is other, their teammates and comrades. My first attempt in fanfiction so please be kind with me. One-shot.


If one is to ask me how I see my teammate, Tenten, I would really say that she's important to me. I just couldn't imagine life without her. Well, first of all, she's my teammate and the only sane one for that. Even if she is a female, I managed to get more comfortable with her than with our companions who are clad in green spandex. Aside from the woman blues of being emotional and having less physical ability, I find it easy to get along with her. I wouldn't mind rescuing her when her skill wouldn't allow her to help herself. She's the one who helped me in getting stronger anyway, for she is always there to have training with me.

There are times that I would train with other Hyuugas. There are just some techniques that are better suited in practicing with them than with her. I wouldn't want to always practice the Gentle Fist on her. I end up touching her in certain areas and I wouldn't want to take advantage of the fact that she doesn't mind, that she thinks it's all for training. I like it that she's so professional when it comes to those things. I wonder if she likes it when I touch her here and there, though, even if it ends up blocking the flow of her chakra.

The Kaiten is the technique that I was able to perfect properly with her. I would practice blocking all those weapons that she will throw at me. She's really just so willing to help me even if it tired her out and there was even no scratch on me. It's not that she's incapable; it's just the way that my technique was designed. It's the same when she had a battle with Temari, in which she is clearly in a disadvantage. I know that she is not weak despite the fact that Temari easily managed to block all her weapons. It's just that the wind can easily throw off all those weapons, the same way that the earth style is of no match against the lightning style.

She actually ended up using a weapon that uses the wind during the Fourth Great Ninja World War. It was called as a banana fan and she found it lying somewhere. It just uses a lot of chakra that she ended up being taken to the medical camp. Once there, all she can think about is that weapon instead of her own condition. As for me, I refused to be taken to the medical camp. I know that she will scold me if I am with her, but she was deployed on a different area which is the same area as my uncle Hiashi. I know that my uncle will watch over her knowing that she is my beloved teammate who has always been with me even before my hatred of the Main House members of the Hyuuga clan was resolved.

We perfected the Kaiten together before my fight with Naruto during the first Chuunin exams that we took. When I faced Naruto, I feel that it is not only my battle, but hers as well, for she also exerted effort in preparing me for the battle. I might have lost, but I learned a lesson from that fight. Being a caged bird was only in my mindset. I have long accepted the fact that I was born into the Branch House and I shouldn't let it stop me. I know my talent as a shinobi doesn't depend on that.

I was a born genius and prodigy, but it doesn't mean that I will not work hard anymore. A bloodline can only take you so far, but it is your individual ability as a shinobi that will really count. It is admirable that Lee didn't let his inability to use ninjutsu stop him, so he resorted in working hard and perfecting his taijutsu, but I believe that there are some things that one must work smart for, rather than work hard. It's the same when she found out that her specialization is handling weapons, so she stopped copying Lady Tsunade. Lady Tsunade is Lady Tsunade and Tenten is Tenten. Even she didn't let the lack of a bloodline stop her.

She visited me in the recovery room after my fight with Naruto. I have shown her my curse mark not in the same way that I have shown it while I was fighting. I was showing it in shame during my fight, but showing it to her is as a sign of acceptance. I couldn't really say that I am proud of it. It's a curse mark after all. I know that she understood me losing the battle even if it's disappointing because she helped me in facing it.

We knew that it was meant for me to lose that battle. What Naruto taught me helped me in placing more importance in the people around me, especially to her, because she has always been beside me and it is never as a fangirl. There's a possibility that she admires me, but it's not in an obsessive level. We maintain the health of our relationship with each other. It would creep me out to think that she looks at me that way, even if it is her. The way that she admires me makes me admire her in that way as well. Besides, it would complicate our lives if we are to look at each other as more than the best of friends, and I know that she wouldn't want that as well.

Emotions are good as long as it's always under control. It's hard to love someone in that way with the lives that we are living. It's alright to care and be concerned about comrades, but it should be coupled with the acceptance that they can die at any time. Not that I would really like to think of it happening, it's just that there should be a limit to the hurt that one can experience if it happens. It's alright to be hurt in loving the memory of that person, but it shouldn't be to the point that life won't go on anymore.

I wouldn't want to think of that happening to her, which is why she is one the people that I protect the most. I know that comrades protect each other, but there are certain comrades that you are more concerned about than the rest. Well, it's certainly because she has been my teammate for so long and our other teammate and sensei are not sane and spend most of the time getting along with each other, leaving her with me. Still, we do not act as if we are just stuck with each other. We have long accepted the fact that Lee is Gai-sensei's favorite.

I am not really much of a sociable person, but I find it easy to get along with her. She has gotten used to me being irked by some things that she will just laugh about it, and I wouldn't get irritated with her doing that. Any other girl who would have done that and I'll probably be irked as well. I am really confused if the way I see her regarding those things is because she's a dear teammate or if I like her or both. This is when it gets all complicated so I don't really want to think much about it.

All I know is that she is important to me. I wouldn't want her to be harmed in a trap that she couldn't get out of or recover from, which is why I really had to act out of urgency when Kisame had us imprisoned in giant water bubbles. She's the one among our team who couldn't hold on any longer and I understand the limits of her female body. If I acted a second later, I wouldn't know what will happen, she was really weak afterwards that she couldn't stand by herself and I had to hold her.

It's not like I was seldom to be able to hold her. I have done that many times whenever we are sparring and I had to throw her to the ground, but I am careful to do it gently, both because that's what the Hyuuga fighting style allowed and because it is her. I will still probably do it gently even if it's not what our clan taught me. It's not as if she's a fragile creature. I wouldn't want to see her as weak and I know that she wouldn't want that as well. It's just that I don't want to be rough at her.

I even remember a time when I was sent on a mission with her and Naruto. I and Lee are usually at the front lines of a fight and she usually protects us from behind, but I had to act when the enemy directed the weapon at her while she is controlling something that is hard to manipulate. She was never distracted at what she was doing during that time, as usual. I like it that she will never get her mind off the mission that we are assigned in, even when our whole team was on a mission with Naruto wherein we tasted something that is called as the Curry of Life.

She knows the importance of the role that comrades play on a mission, that's why she put a glass of water on my mouth when I was unable to move after having a spoonful of that curry. Out of manners, I hold the glass of water myself afterwards. I remember barely touching her hand when I attempted to took the glass of water from her. I was also able to touch her hand when the members of our team put their hands together as a sign of our teamwork when we were sent on a mission to be a back up for Team 7 when they helped in bringing back the Kazekage from the Akatsuki. I was really hesitant to do it because it was our crazy green spandex wearing teammate and sensei that started it, but she encouraged me.

Going back to the mission with the Curry of Life, that curry is really able to breathe life out of someone who is unconscious, which is what happened when she fed me with it. She was even sitting on me during that time when she did it and I don't mind. I know that she didn't do it on purpose of flirting or anything like that. It's just that we are really comfortable with each other.

It's not like it only happened during that time. As a teammate, it's unavoidable that I have body contact with her or touch her on different places whenever we are training. It's not like I will touch her like "that". We're not yet in a level of relationship to do so and we're not yet ready. I could have attempted it any time with her, but I don't want it to end in failure, what with the lives that we are leading. I could also have just casually flirted with her anytime and she'll probably do it with me as well, but I have far too much respect for her to do that. Besides, I don't know if I am to be set up to marry someone by my uncle. I wouldn't want to mess up her feelings that way. I think she's a good candidate for a woman to marry, though, what with her ability when it comes to weapons and all that.

However, there are really some times that I couldn't really be with her. Like when she asked me to accompany her when Lady Tsunade is being made into a Hokage. I'd rather enjoy our peaceful training spot than be in a place with a lot of people. I know that she understands that. It's something that's so trivial to get so worked up about. Besides, I know that she got so used to me that she wouldn't think that I am a jerk anymore. It's also because she doesn't really bug me the way our other teammate and our sensei does.

All in all I can only continue to be this way with her. There is our duty as a shinobi that we must both focus on and we wouldn't want to be distracted from. There is also a possibility that one of us might die anytime, and it'll be hard if we make each other our other halves. I remember the time when I was sent on a mission to bring back Sasuke and I almost died in my fight with Kidoumarou. I can only think about the important people in my life, especially her, when I was about to die. What could have happened if we already made each other our other halves during that time? It will be so hard for both of us. That's why it is easier for us to remain this way. When the right time comes and if circumstances will allow, maybe we can take a chance for us to be together. Only time will tell. As of now, we can only be like this. If we really are for each other, then we will be.


End file.
